1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to conveying apparatus in which roller type conveyors are employed. More particularly, the invention pertains to a roller design that permits movement of material, packages, or other freight in any desired direction.
Freight conveying apparatus for the movement of containers, packages, and pallets of the type using rollers are employed in various facilities and applications. In such systems, it is regularly desirable to divert the movement of the transported items at an angle to a given path of movement. Sometimes it is desirable to transfer the package at a right angle and other times at an oblique angle to the original line of movement. The point at which the direction of the packages are changed is generally referred to as a transfer station. At such stations, the package is diverted from one direction into another direction by the rollers that form the transfer station or location. Also, in assembly or fabrication operations, it is desirable to be able to move and rotate the products with ease. The present invention pertains to an efficient roller design that permits angular movement and rotation of products or packages in any desired direction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A typical system of the Prior Art would provide a feed conveyor that moves packages by a set or system of drive rollers which may be powered by a motor. At a point where it is desirable to change direction of the packages, a transfer station is provided that receives the packages from the feed conveyor and transfers them to a second conveyor that may be disposed at a right angle to the feed conveyor. The transfer station has a system of rollers that rotate on their axis to permit movement of the package in one direction contain outer roller elements that permit movement of the package in other directions.
An example of a Prior Art system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,917 and German Patent No. 2627014. These and other systems of the Prior Art fail to provide individual rollers that are rugged and efficient and will stand up under long continued heavy use of conveying freight in its transfer from one direction to another in a conveyor system.